Self-wrapping gift box



Nov. 28, 1967 E. J. LE PAIN SELF-WRAPPING GIFT BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 12, 1966 INVENTOR ELLERY d. LE PAIN BYQ W F: gut:

ATTORNEYS Nov.28,1967' J,. E PAW 3,355,092

SELF-WRAPPING GIFT BOX Filed May 12, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ELLERY d. LE PAIN BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,355,092 SELF-WRAPPING GIFT BOX Ellery J. Le Pain, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Plumbing Research and Development Company, Oak Park, Micl1., a corporation of Michigan Filed May 12, 1966, Ser. No. 549,623 11 Claims. (Cl. 22987) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A self-Wrapping gift box and method of forming wherein upon one of the box cover and bottom elements there juxtaposed and secured a sheet of wrapping material, with the latter folded over the edges of said box element defining loose flaps normally nested within such element, and removable therefrom to permit assembly of the box elements after which the flaps overlie and enclose the other box element and are adhered thereto.

The present invention relates to a self-wrapping gift box in which the wrapper has been formed, assembled and secured over the box top or bottom defining a series of loose folded flaps normally stored upon the interior of the box and adapted for removal from the interior to completely enclose and be secured to the box.

It is an object of the invention to provide for a selfwrapping gift box a method by which flaps may be removed from the interior of the assembled box and are of such size and shape as to cooperatively overlie the box bottom or top and be adhesively secured thereto to complete a gift wrapping.

Heretofore, a box of this type must be separately wrapped in a time consuming process, all of which is overcome by providing a pre-assembled wrapper fixedly secured to the box top or bottom and extending over the sides thereof terminating in a series of flaps for enclosing exposed portions of the box bottom or top and for securing thereover.

It is another object to provide a self-wrapping gift box or the like wherein the wrapping sheet is initially assembled and secured to a planar unfolded box top, for illustration with overlapping flaps projecting laterally thereof in right angularly related direction to provide a series of flaps which when folded along with the folding of the box top form provide a series of right angularly extending foldable flaps adapted to enclose a box bottom assembled therewith.

It is another object to provide a self-wrapping gift box wherein cooperating box bottom and box top have previously had assembled thereto a gift wrapping and with laterally extending foldable flaps on either the box top or the box bottom for folding registry with the other and for securing to complete a gift wrapping.

It is another object to provide in such assembly pre-cut ribbons initially secured to preferably the box top for illustration and with free projecting ends adapted to and cooperatively enclose and surround the assembled box and including adhesive elements on the ribbon ends for securing thereto.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the gift wrapped box.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the initial step of assembling the wrapper to the box top and with the box bottom shown in exploded view thereover.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the folding steps for the sheet of wrapping material.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the box top with the prewrapping flaps loosely disposed upon the interior thereof.

3,355,092 Patented Nov. 28, 1967 FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-section of the self-wrapping gift box.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a planar assembled unfolded box top with connected gift wrapping sheet.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of another form of self-wrapping gift box.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of one part of a pre-assembled self-wrapping gift box.

FIG. 9 is a perspective exploded view with another form of self-wrapping gift box.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of still another form.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a modified gift en closure envelope.

It will be understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, the wrapped gift box generally indicated at 11, on the completion of the wrapping steps hereunder defined includes box top 12 with wall 13 and continuous conventional flange 14, FIG. 2.

In exploded view in FIG. 2 is shown the inverted box bottom 15 with wall 16 and continuous conventional flange 17 which on each side of the box bottom is cut away and slotted as at 18.

As a first step in the pre-assembly of the gift box, the cover 12, FIG. 2 is juxtaposed over the sheet 19 of a suitable gift wrapper or other wrapping which may be of paper or other equivalent wrapping material such as plastic or metal foil or the like, and which may have an ornamentation thereon such as shown at 20 in FIG. 1.

In the illustrative embodiment, the box employed is rectangular in shape but could be any other shape, such as heart, triangular, round, or cylindrical, and is so arranged with respect to the rectangular wrapper 19 that the corners of the box top are arranged mid-way of the respective edges of the wrapping sheet 19 spaced inwardly thereof.

FIG. 2 shows in the Wrapper 19 a series of folds 1, 2 and 3 required in completing the assembly shown in FIG. 4.

As a second step, a series of first folds, namely, fold 1, FIG. 2 are applied to the wrapping sheet 19 along all of the sides or flanges of the box top to thus define in the wrapper a series of rectangular elements 21, in the illustrative embodiment, and at the respective ends thereof triangular gussets 22, FIG. 3 which are centrally folded as at fold 2, FIG. 2.

As a further step, fold 3 is applied to the wrapping sheet 19 along all four top edges of the box flange 14 to provide a series of flaps 23 which in the illustrative embodiment are of triangular shape.

These flaps are reverse folded over the top edges of the flange 14 and extend downwardly thereover as at 27, FIG. 4 and terminate in the loosely extending inwardly directed flap portions 23 along the interior wall of the box top, FIG. 4.

It is contemplated as a part of the present invention that an adhesive means be provided for fixedly securing portions 21 of the wrapper to the adjacent exterior walls 14 of the cover. For this purpose there are provided a series of strips 25 for illustration of a suitable adhesive such as a pressure sensitive adhesive for cooperative registry with side walls of box 12.

Additional adhesive strips 24 such as a suitable pressure sensitive adhesive available on the market may be employed upon the interior surface of the wrapper or upon the box top for additionally securing the wrapper sheet 19 thereto, though these could be omitted merely applying the adhesive strips 25. These are shown as rectangular strips but it is contemplated that any other form 3: of adhesively securing the wrapper elements 21 to the box flanges could be used.

One or more of the interior surfaces of the triangular flaps 23 have an adhesive means 26 secured thereto, as for example, a mucilage or pressure sensitive adhesive, FIG. 2.

In the box construction as it would normally be used in a store for an object has been inserted therein for subsequent gift wrapping, the box bottom 15 would be assembled as shown in FIG. with the triangular flaps 23 loosely positioned therein partly extending through the elongated grooves or notches 18 of the box bottom shown in FIG. 2.

Subsequently, as a final step, with the object to be gift wrapped within the box cover, the box bottom is reassembled after the flaps 23 have first been removed from the interior of the box. Thereafter, respective flaps 23 are folded so as to cooperatively overlie the box bottom, FIG. 1 enclosing all exposed portions thereof and with sufficient pressure applied to the adhesive means 26 the flaps are secured in assembled cooperating registry, FIG. 1 to complete the wrapping of the gift box.

By the present construction, a gift box may be provided in a store, for example, in the assembled relationship shown, FIG. 5, and the user can subsequently remove the flaps 23 extending the same over the exterior of the box bottom to complete a gift wrapped package substantially as shown in FIG. 1.

It is contemplated that the wrapper 19 may be initially assembled and secured to a box bottom such as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, with all the assembly steps just the same as above described. In such case, the wrapper would preferably be secured only to the bottom wall of the box bottom, or over only a portion of the flange of the bottom of the box as demonstrated respectively in FIGS. 9 and 10.

Referring to FIG. 9, the box bottom 40 has a suitable gift-wrapping sheet 42 folded around and fixedly secured thereto over its bottom wall and corresponding side walls throughout substantially its height leaving simply the uncovered top marginal flanges 43 adapted to cooperatively receive the uncovered cover 41. The wrapping 42 at its upper end portion terminates in a series of triangularly shaped flaps 44 which upon assembly of the top 41 may be folded thereover in cooperative overlapping relationship and adhesively secured as by the adhesive spots 38 in the corner portions of each of the said flaps 44.

As above described, flaps 44 may be initially stored loosely in folded condition upon the interior of the box bottom 40 and the plain cover assembled until ready for packaging and wrapping.

The modification of FIG. shows a box bottom 45 having a top 46 hinged thereto along one edge. Here the wrapping strip 47 has been fixedly secured only to the bottom wall of the bottom 45 and terminates in the laterally extending flaps 48' terminating in the triangular portions 48. The flaps 48-48 normally are not connected with the side flanges of the box bottom and accordingly,

when the cover 46 has been turned to closed assembled relationship over the box bottom 45, the respective flaps- 48-48 are folded so as to cooperatively enclose the box cover and be fixedly secured thereover in the manner above described.

A slight modification is shown in FIG. 11 wherein a decorative type of envelope is shown provided with a flap of the same decorative material upon its exterior, at least, which when assembled over the body of the envelope provides a gift wrapping which may enclose a box, if desired, and assembled thereinto.

A modification is shown in FIG. 6 as a slightly different form of self-wrapping construction and wherein the assembly indicated at 30 includes an ornamental rectangularly shaped wrapper strip 31 which has centrally mounted thereover an unfolded box top form 32 in substantially coplanar relation and suitably secured thereto. The box top form normally unfolded is provided with a series of rectangularly shaped coplanar right angularly extending flanges 33 which in the assembly operation are ultimately folded along the fold lines 34 to form the side flanges for the box cover.

The over-lapping portions of the wrapper 31 define a series of triangularly shaped flaps 35 which upon folding of the respective flanges 33 may be furthermore folded along the fold line 36 at the top edge of the respective flanges 33 to form the box bottom enclosing elements as above described. In this folding operation, the gussets 37 will be folded upon each other upon the dotted lines indicated in a conventional manner.

Each of the tabs 35, which are triangular in the illustrative embodiment have adjacent their corners the adhesive elements 38, such as of pressure sensitive adhesive by which when the formed box top for illustration is assembled over a box bottom. Said flaps 35 will protectively and completely enclose the assembled box bottom and be secured thereto. In the illustration shown in FIG. 6 at least a pair of the oppositely arranged flaps 35 are slightly enlarged as at 39 to provide for a suitable overlap in the assembly operation.

A modification is shown in FIG. 7 wherein the box top 49 has an ornamental wrapping 50 assembled and secured thereover including the side flanges 51.

The corresponding box bottom 52 has mounted only over the bottom portion thereof, the corresponding gift wrapper or sheeting 53 which includes a series of right angularly related coplanar laterally extending flaps 54 which have adhesive strips 55 thereon as shown and which are adapted to cooperatively engage portions of the cover when assembled over the box bottom.

In this illustration, the box bottom 52, of course, has no covering over its corresponding side flanges.

The modification shown in FIG. 8 contemplates the possibility that the box top 56 will have secured thereover an ornamental wrapping 57 which will include the side flanges of the box top and terminate in the laterally extending flaps 58 bearing adhesive strips 59 on their undersurfaces for cooperative registry with a corresponding prewrapped and covered box bottom such as shown in FIG. 7 wherein the pre-wrapping assembly is mounted only over the bottom wall thereof. In this construction, the flaps 58 merely extend around adjacent edge portions of the box bottom and are secured thereto to complete the gift wrapped package.

A modification also provides for the use of a pair of right angularly related ribbons 60 of a suitable color which are initially secured as at 61 as by an adhesive to a portion of the gift wrapping for the cover for illustration which include a series of free extending ribbon ends 60 adapted to extend around corresponding portions of the box bottom when assembled and secured thereto as by the adhesive elements 62.

In FIG. 6, if element 32 is the box bottom, then the portions of wrapper 31 corresponding to flanges 33 are loose.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the following claims:

I claim: 1. In a box including flanged cover and bottom elements;

the improvement of a self-wrapping gift box comprising a sheet of wrapping material juxtaposed over one of sa id elements and its flanges throughout 360;

first adhesive means securing said sheet to said one element;

portions of said sheet being loosely reverse-folded over the interior of said flanges and terminating in a plurality of flaps loosely overlying the interior of said box element;

said flaps being removable from said interior and being of sufiicient size to cooperatively overlie the other box element enclosing its exposed portions;

and second adhesive means securing said flaps thereto.

2. In the self-wrapping box of claim 1, said flaps at their edges being overlapped.

3. In the self-Wrapping box of claim 1, said box and said wrapping sheet being rectangular;

said sheet being folded to form the flaps of triangular shape.

4. In the self-wrapping box of claim 1, portions of the edges of the flanges of said other box element being cut away forming elongated slots loosely receiving said flaps.

5. In the self-wrapping box of claim 1, said adhesive means being a pressure sensitive adhesive.

6. In the gift box of claim 1; said first adhesive means connecting adjajcent portions of said sheet to the flanges of said cover element.

7. In the gift box of claim 1, said cover and bottom elements being hinged together along one side.

8. In the gift box of claim 1, said sheet extending over and secured to the side flanges of the bottom element for a portion of their height up to the edges of the cover element flanges.

9. In the gift box of claim 1, ribbon elements secured upon the outer surface of said sheet, including free ends extending from the ribbon elements;

an adhesive means on portions of said free ends for securing the same upon and around the wrapped box.

10. The method of forming a self-wrapping gift box including flanged cover and bottom elements, comprising the steps:

juxtaposing one of said box elements over a sheet of wrapping material; forming a first fold in said sheet along all sides of said box element to overlie its flanges; adhering portions of said sheet to said one element; forming a reverse fold in said sheet on all sides of said box element along the edges of said flanges; with adjacent portions of said sheet forming a series of loose flaps extending over the interior of said flanges and said box element; said box elements being initially assembled enclosing said flaps; removing said flaps from said box interior to cooperatively overlie and enclose the other box element; and adhering portions of said flaps thereto. 11. In the method of claim 10, the forming of said first fold in said sheet effecting simultaneous folding of said flanges at right angles to said box element;

there being the additional step of folding and securing portions of said sheet at the end of said flanges.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,064,876 11/1962 Warner 229--87 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

R. PESHOCK, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A BOX INCLUDING FLANGED COVER AND BOTTOM ELEMENTS; THE IMPROVEMENT OF A SELF-WRAPPING GIFT BOX COMPRISING A SHEET OF WRAPPING MATERIAL JUXTAPOSED OVER ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS AND ITS FLANGES THROUGHOUT 360*; FIRST ADHESIVE MEANS SECURING SAID SHEET TO SAID ONE ELEMENT; PORTIONS OF SAID SHEET BEING LOOSLEY REVERSE-FOLDED OVER THE INTERIOR OF SAID FLANGES AND TERMINATING IN A PLURALITY OF FLAPS LOOSELY OVERLYING THE INTERIOR OF SAID BOX ELEMENT; SAID FLAPS BEING REMOVABLE FROM SAID INTERIOR AND BEING OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO COOPERATIVELY OVERLIE THE OTHER BOX ELEMENT ENCLOSING ITS EXPOSED PORTION; AND SECOND ADHESIVE MEANS SECURING SAID FLAPS THERETO. 